Administrator ELEVATE

Catherine Estes, Social Services Coordinator

Legal Services of Eastern Missouri has recently hired two new professionals in the Volunteer Lawyers Program.

Catherine Estes has joined Legal Services as a part-time Social Services Coordinator with the Volunteer Lawyers Program. She holds a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Washington University, and a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Speech Communication. In this new role, Catherine will be available to clients and volunteer attorneys for social service consultation and referrals.

Melissa Zensen, Legal Services Coordinator

Melissa Zensen has joined Legal Services as a Legal Services Coordinator with the Volunteer Lawyers Program. Melissa holds a J.D. from Saint Louis University Law School and a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Missouri. She has practiced law in the St. Louis area for over twenty years, in the private sector and as an Assistant St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney. Melissa will place clients with volunteer attorneys and will work in all legal facets of the program, including monitoring cases and coordinating pro bono clinics.

About Legal Services of Eastern Missouri: Legal Services of Eastern Missouri has provided free civil legal help for low-income families for 62 years. In 2017 nearly 30,000 people in 21 counties of eastern Missouri received services from four regional offices. For more information, please visit http://lsem.org.

Maria V. Perron, Partner of The Perron Law Firm, P.C.

Legal Services of Eastern Missouri has elected Maria V. Perron (The Perron Law Firm, P.C.) as President of their Board of Directors and has added Andrea Stanley (Brown & Crouppen) as a board member.

Maria V. Perron is a partner of The Perron Law Firm, P.C., located in St. Louis County. She practices personal injury, medical malpractice and employment law. She is a 1981 graduate of Saint Louis University School of Law and has been a member of the Legal Services board since 2007 and has served as Vice-President since 2012. She is a member of the Missouri Bar, Illinois Bar, the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys and the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis. In 2013 she received the F. Wm. McCalpin Pro Bono award from Legal Services for her dedication to volunteer service.

Andrea Stanley, Associate with Brown & Crouppen

Andrea Stanley is an Associate with Brown & Crouppen in St. Louis. She is a 2010 graduate of the Southern University Law Center in Baton Rouge, LA and practices personal injury litigation. She is a member of the Missouri Bar, Illinois Bar, the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys, the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis (BAMSL), Member-At-Large of the Mound City Bar Association and is and current Chair of the BAMSL Young Lawyers Division. She was a 2018 recipient of a Missouri Bar Association-Young Lawyers Section Pro Bono award for her volunteer work.

Dan Glazier, Executive Director and General Counsel for Legal Services of Eastern Missouri noted that, “Maria Perron has been a leader for Legal Services for many years and will lead the organization’s growth over the next few years. Andrea is a rising leader in the legal community and we welcome her to the Board and look forward to working with her, as well, to expand services.”

About Legal Services of Eastern Missouri: Legal Services of Eastern Missouri has provided free civil legal help for low-income families for 62 years. In 2017 nearly 30,000 people in
21 counties of eastern Missouri received services from four regional offices. For more information, please visit www.lsem.org.

T.J. Hoeferlin, Principal, Assurance Services

Purk & Associates, the award-winning, nationally recognized accounting and management consulting firm, announced today the promotion of T.J. Hoeferlin, CPA, MBA, to Principal, Assurance Services.

In addition to Hoeferlin, Taylor Luetkemeyer, CPA, was promoted to Tax Manager, and Chris Murphy, CPA, was promoted to Senior Associate.

“We are thrilled to have T.J., Taylor and Chris move into the leadership roles. Each brings discipline, experience and creativity to their perspective roles, and are building a fantastic foundation for the continued growth of Purk & Associates to better serve our clients,” said Bill Purk, CPA, Purk & Associates Co-Founding Shareholder and President.

Taylor Luetkemeyer, Tax Manager

Hoeferlin will now oversee the audit and attestation practice of the firm.  Prior to joining the firm in 2016, he worked for ten years with Emerson Electric Co. in their internal audit department, and an additional eleven years in public accounting before that with a national St. Louis accounting firm.  His experience includes business consulting, and regulatory and financial reporting services for not-for-profits, employee benefit plans, and privately held business.

Luetkemeyer, one of the original Purk & Associates team members who joined the firm in 2009 when it was founded, will manage the tax compliance and consulting for privately held companies. Luetkemeyer specializes in all entity types and prepares tax returns for high-net-worth individuals, their families and estates.

Chris Murphy, Senior Associate

As a Senior Associate in the Business Services division, Murphy is involved with audits, reviews, compilations, tax engagements, and controllership services for clients in a variety of fields including real estate, homebuilders, construction, not-for-profits, employee benefit plans, service related companies and manufacturing and distribution. Murphy joined the firm in 2015 and earned is CPA in 2018. Prior to joining, Purk & Associates, he was an entrepreneur and restaurateur.

Founded in 2009 with headquarters in St. Louis, Purk & Associates, P.C., is a nationally recognized and award winning, independently owned accounting and management advisory firm that delivers a full range of tax, accounting, audit and consulting services. At Purk & Associates, our focus is to help our clients achieve more financial and business success. To learn more, please visit http://purkpc.com.

Legal Services of Eastern Missouri has recently hired three attorneys to provide legal assistance to low-income clients in eastern Missouri and promoted a fourth attorney to a new role.

Amy Kester has joined as a Special Projects Attorney to serve clients living with HIV/AIDS. The position is funded through a Ryan White grant from the City of St. Louis. Kester is a 2002 graduate of St. Louis University School of Law

Terry Lawson has joined as an attorney with the Consumer Law Program. He is a 2001 graduate of the University of Missouri School of Law. Lawson is Chair of the Missouri Chapter of the National Association of Consumer Advocates.

Margaret LaMore was promoted to Program Director with the Children’s Legal Alliance. LaMore has worked as an attorney with the program since 2013 and is a 2011 graduate of Washington University School of Law.

About Legal Services of Eastern Missouri: Legal Services of Eastern Missouri has provided free civil legal help for low-income families for 62 years. In 2017 nearly 26,000 people in 21 counties of eastern Missouri received services from four regional offices. For more information, please visit www.lsem.org.

Bill Purk, President

The TORCH Awards recognize businesses and charities that exemplify high ethics in their treatment of customers, employees and suppliers. Nine businesses and three charities are being recognized in 2018.

“BBB TORCH Awards recognize companies and charities that are committed to exceptional standards and high ethics,” said Michelle Corey, BBB St. Louis President and CEO. “These organizations have truly joined BBB’s mission of advancing marketplace trust in an exemplary way, and they are role models for other businesses and nonprofits in the community.”

Purk & Associates, P.C. is a full-service accounting, management and wealth management firm. Founded in 2009, Purk & Associates cites its dedication to serving and building the St. Louis community as a tenet of its mission.

“Our culture is built on unwavering support of one another no matter where you fall into the pecking order,” says president Bill Purk, CPA, adding that the TORCH Award validates these operating principles.

Purk & Associates, P.C. and other TORCH Award winners — along with two Student of Ethics award winners — will be recognized at the BBB TORCH Awards reception and luncheon at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 18, at the Chase Park Plaza Hotel, 212 N. Kingshighway, St. Louis. Author and consultant Tim Sanders will be the keynote speaker; Kevin Steincross, KTVI FOX 2 morning news anchor, will emcee the event.

About Purk & Associates: Founded in 2009 with headquarters in St. Louis, Purk & Associates, P.C., is a nationally recognized and award winning, independently owned accounting and management advisory firm that delivers a full range of tax, accounting, audit and consulting services. At Purk & Associates, our focus is to help you achieve more financial and business success. To learn more, please visit www.purkpc.com.

Lisa D’Souza, Staff Attorney for the new Honorable Richard B. Teitelman Chair at Legal Services of Eastern Missouri

Lisa D’Souza has been selected to serve as the staff attorney for the new Honorable Richard B. Teitelman Chair at Legal Services of Eastern Missouri. The Teitelman Chair is an endowed position named for the late Missouri Supreme Court Judge Richard Teitelman who also served for 18 years as Executive Director for Legal Services. The named position will focus on legal advocacy that addresses systemic issues affecting low-income families in Legal Services’ 21-county service region.

“Lisa is uniquely qualified for this position. A graduate of Harvard Law School, Lisa has broad experience as a public interest lawyer,” stated Dan Glazier, Executive Director and General Counsel for Legal Services of Eastern Missouri.

D’Souza’s 22-year career includes working with Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid serving migrant farmworkers, the Tennessee Justice Center advocating for health care for low-income clients and, most recently, serving as a staff attorney to the Eighth Circuit U. S. Court of Appeals.

A native St. Louisan, Lisa attended high school in Texas and received her undergraduate degree in Philosophy from Texas A & M.  Lisa and her family returned to St. Louis in 2013.

About Legal Services of Eastern Missouri: Legal Services of Eastern Missouri has provided free civil legal help for low-income families for 62 years. In 2017 nearly 26,000 people in 21 counties of eastern Missouri received services from four regional offices. For more information, please visit www.lsem.org.

Judge Richard B. Teitelman was nationally recognized as a champion for justice for underserved and marginalized members of society. He was also a leader of the civil rights efforts and served as the Executive Director and General Counsel of Legal Services of Eastern Missouri for 18 years before being appointed to the Missouri Supreme Court, where he served as Chief Justice from 2011 through 2013. Among other things, Judge Teitelman was a trailblazer as the first legally-blind judge in Missouri and the first Jewish member of the Missouri Supreme Court. 

Judge Teitelman died suddenly in November 2016. Following his death, members of the legal community began an effort to establish an attorney position “Chair” at Legal Services to continue Judge Teitelman’s work in championing causes for the poor and disadvantaged who are often denied access to the legal process and justice. 

In that spirit, the Teitelman Chair helps Legal Services to further address the systemic issues and the underlying causes, policies and practices that create barriers to equal opportunities in education, housing, employment, health care and other basic civil rights for individuals who are marginalized by lack of resources, race, disability, or other circumstances.

Legal Services of Eastern Missouri was notified in late December 2017 that an anonymous donor was offering a 4-to-1 match for all donations made to support the Teitelman Chair. This funding, along with the matching funds, generated more than $1.25 million in donations to endow the Teitelman Fund to support the Teitelman Chair position.

Legal Services of Eastern Missouri has recently hired three new staff members to provide legal assistance to low-income clients in eastern Missouri.

Robert Hollers has joined the Hannibal Office as an attorney. Hollers was a volunteer with Land of Lincoln Legal Aid and an Equal Justice Works Rural Summer Legal Intern with the Hannibal Office in 2016. He is a graduate of Southern Illinois University School of Law, with a J.D. and a Masters in Human Resources Management.

Laura Silverberg has joined the the Legal Advocates for Adults with Mental Illness Program as its Social Worker. Silverberg is a 2017 graduate of Washington University’s Brown School with a Master of Social Work (MSW). She is a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) pursuing her clinical licensure.

Amanda Williams has joined the Immigration Law Program as an attorney. Williams received her J.D. from the Roger Williams University School of Law in Bristol, RI. She was previously an attorney with the Immigration Project of Illinois, representing immigrant survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking.

About Legal Services of Eastern Missouri: Legal Services of Eastern Missouri has provided free civil legal help for low-income families for 62 years. In 2017 nearly 26,000 people in

21 counties of eastern Missouri received services from four regional offices. For more information, please visit www.lsem.org.

Fyndus, a St. Louis-based, global e-Commerce company, was selected as one of Small Business Monthly’s 2018 “Future 50” companies, an award recognizing privately held companies that are key economic indicators for business growth throughout the St. Louis region.

“This is an honor to be selected as one of the Future 50 award recipients. We are thrilled to be included with this amazing group of companies. Given the caliber of the Future 50 companies, St. Louis has a bright future,” said Affan Waheed, Fyndus CEO and Founder.

Founded in 2016, Fyndus has experienced year-over-year revenue growth with plans to expand into Europe, the Middle East, and Pacific Rim over the next 12 months. Currently, Fyndus is operational in six countries, has close to 300,000 users, and has an active presence in nine countries on four continents.

To read Waheed’s Small Business Monthly “Future 50”profile along with the other 2018 award recipients, please click here. Waheed’s profile is on page 23.

“What started as an idea to offer the best prices on overstock merchandise with free shipping in developing countries has exponentially grown into an international company where we’ve evolved into an e-commerce platform that helps market local businesses among Fyndus app users with discounts on retail, dining and events, while continuing to expand our e-commerce offerings to provide the best user experience,” said Affan Waheed, Fyndus CEO and founder.

Contact:

Ann Marie Mayuga, AMM Communications

314.485.9499, annmarie@ammcommunications.com

About Fyndus

Founded in 2016, Fyndus, LLC, is the global leader that changes the consumer retail shopping experience with brick and mortar, and e-commerce using an app to find the best deals in merchandise, service and local dining. Fyndus is different from other e-commerce platforms because it rewards buying behavior patterns, provides savings to buyers by eliminating the middleman, and offers merchants and service providers the tools to better manage the consumer buying experience. With headquarters based in St. Louis, Missouri and offices located internationally throughout Europe and the Middle East, Fyndus is changing the way people shop globally, save money, and help local businesses thrive. Fyndus…Discover. Shop. Save! To learn more, please visithttps://Fyndus.com.

Peter Hoffman, Staff Attorney for the Neighborhood Vacancy Initiative

Legal Services of Eastern Missouri has recently hired three new staff members for the Community Economic Development Program.

Peter Hoffman and Melissa Slator will staff the newly formed Neighborhood Vacancy Initiative to assist neighborhood associations and community nonprofits in addressing the problem of vacant and abandoned housing in the City of St. Louis.

Hoffman is staff attorney for the Neighborhood Vacancy Initiative. He is a graduate of the University of Missouri-Kansas City Law School with a J.D. and a Master’s degree in Public Administration. Prior to joining Legal Services, he was Director of the “Adopt-a-Neighborhood” Project at Legal Aid of Western Missouri.

Melissa Slator, Paralegal and Community Outreach Specialist for the Neighborhood Vacancy Initiative

Slator is the Paralegal and Community Outreach Specialist for the Neighborhood Vacancy Initiative. She has more than thirty years of experience as a paralegal and was a paralegal with the Volunteer Lawyers Program at Legal Services prior to this role.

Marlene Elliott, Attorney with the Community Economic Development – Microenterprise Program

Marlene Elliott has joined Legal Services as an attorney with the Community Economic Development – Microenterprise Program. Elliott is a 2005 graduate of Drake University School of Law and in this role will be providing legal assistance for nonprofits and low-income entrepreneurs to start and grow their organizations and businesses.

About Legal Services of Eastern Missouri: Legal Services of Eastern Missouri has provided free civil legal help for low-income families for 62 years. In 2017 nearly 26,000 people in

21 counties of eastern Missouri received services from four regional offices. For more information, please visit www.lsem.org.